Chuck Hagel committee vote delayed

The Senate Armed Services Committee will not vote this week on whether to confirm Chuck Hagel as the next secretary of Defense amid unrelenting pressure from Republicans over his financial disclosures.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and at least two dozen other Republicans signed a letter Wednesday criticizing what they called Hagel’s reluctance to fully disclose his financial records. In light of what they said was incomplete information, they called for more time to consider his nomination.

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POLITICO LIVE: Hagel’s confirmation odds

One key sticking point was whether the former Republican senator from Nebraska has taken payments from “foreign sources,” either for speeches or consulting work, and until lawmakers are satisfied they said he should not be confirmed.

“The committee and the American people have a right to know if a nominee for secretary of Defense has received compensation, directly or indirectly, from foreign sources,” the senators wrote. “Until the committee receives full and complete answers, it cannot in good faith determine whether you should be confirmed as secretary of Defense.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said that the committee had delayed a vote, in a separate announcement on Wednesday that did not allude to the Republicans’ objections.

“I had hoped to hold a vote on the nomination this week, but the committee’s review of the nomination is not yet complete,” Levin said. “I intend to schedule a vote on the nomination as soon as possible.”

Democrats on the committee could have established a quorum without Republicans and forced a vote, but Levin has little appetite for that. “Sen. Levin isn't interested in pushing it through against their will,” a committee staffer said.

Conservatives opposing Hagel’s nomination were buoyed by the delay, pointing out the Senate is scheduled to be in recess the week of Feb. 17 for the President’s Day holiday.

"It's important to delay the vote out of committee next week while the outstanding issues are investigated,” said a staffer for a conservative organization opposing the nomination. “Meanwhile, he ends up hanging out in the breeze for two weeks. We're in extra innings now — it's anybody's game.”

Several Republican senators asked Hagel over a week ago for additional financial disclosure information, in particular about “entities” that Hagel had been involved with. One senior Senate aide also said that members were curious about whether Chuck Hagel had received foreign funds.

Hagel responded to their request with a letter, obtained by POLITICO, which argued that he could not provide the additional requested information.

“Your request for financial information regarding certain private corporate and non-profit entities … is not mine to provide. … I do not believe I have any of the information requested,” Hagel wrote in the letter, which also provided a list of his speaking engagements dating back to 2009.

"I have been forthright in disclosing all required information about my personal interests and holdings," Hagel added.

An aide to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), to whom Hagel’s letter was addressed, said the response was insufficient.

“As part of the advise and consent role that the Senate plays, we need to take a look,” the aide said.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the Senate minority whip, said that the “chief obstacle” to a Thursday vote is Hagel’s decision not to respond adequately to Republicans’ request for additional financial details.

“So far Sen. Hagel has refused to provide information requested by the committee. That’s the chief obstacle right now. I don’t know any justification for his refusal,” Cornyn told reporters in the Capitol on Wednesday before a lunch meeting with his Republican colleagues.